First Chick-fil-A in Penfield Opens October 29 With Free Food for Customers
Chicken lovers in Penfield, New York, have a reason to mark their calendars. After months of construction and anticipation, Chick-fil-A has officially announced the opening date for its first restaurant in town. And the opening celebration includes something special for anyone willing to dress up.
The new restaurant will open Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 6:30 a.m., bringing the popular fast-food chain to Penfield for the first time. Customers can expect familiar Chick-fil-A favorites, including chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and breakfast items, plus several ways to order.
But the opening isn’t just about expanding the local dining scene. The restaurant will create approximately 100 jobs, introduce a new locally operated business, and support hunger relief efforts in the Rochester area.
The company is celebrating the occasion with a special promotion that lets customers in cow-themed clothing receive free food.
Where Is the New Chick-fil-A Located?
The new Chick-fil-A is located at 2051 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road in Penfield, New York, on the former site of the Penfield Gymnastics Training Center.
The gymnastics facility closed in September 2022 after operating for approximately 35 years. The property has since undergone redevelopment to accommodate the fast-food restaurant.
Plans submitted to the Town of Penfield describe a restaurant measuring about 5,397 square feet, with a three-lane drive-thru and an outdoor patio.
The project also includes improvements designed to accommodate customers entering and leaving the property.
The restaurant is positioned along Route 250, an established commercial corridor serving Penfield and neighboring communities.
Its arrival gives residents another convenient dining option without necessarily having to travel to other Rochester-area Chick-fil-A locations.
What Time Will Chick-fil-A Penfield Open?
The new restaurant will welcome its first customers at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29.
After opening day, Chick-fil-A Penfield will operate Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Like other traditional Chick-fil-A restaurants, it will remain closed on Sundays.
Customers can purchase meals in several ways, including dining inside the restaurant, ordering through the drive-thru, and picking up takeout.
The location will also offer delivery, catering, and Mobile Thru, a service that lets customers place orders through the Chick-fil-A app and pick them up at a designated drive-thru.
These services are intended to accommodate customers with different schedules, whether they’re stopping for breakfast before work or picking up dinner for the family.
For anyone planning to visit on opening day, the early start means breakfast customers will be among the first to experience the restaurant.
Customers Wearing Cow Print Can Get Free Food
Perhaps the most exciting part of the grand opening is the company’s free-food promotion.
Chick-fil-A invites customers to join an opening-day celebration by wearing cow-print clothing or accessories.
Anyone dressed in qualifying cow-themed attire can receive one free entrée or children’s meal while supplies last. The promotion is available to eligible customers ordering inside the restaurant or through the drive-thru.
Customers don’t need to arrive wearing an elaborate costume. According to the company, even a simple cow-spotted accessory can qualify.
Breakfast selections available through the promotion include the Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit, Egg White Grill, and four-count Chick-n-Minis.
During lunch and dinner, eligible customers can choose from options including the original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, eight-count nuggets, or a five-count nugget children’s meal.
The offer is limited to one qualifying item per customer wearing cow-themed attire, and no purchase is necessary.
Chick-fil-A’s cow characters have appeared in the company’s advertising since 1995, encouraging customers to choose chicken over beef.
The Penfield celebration brings that familiar advertising tradition into the restaurant’s opening-day festivities.
Meet the Owner of Chick-fil-A Penfield
The restaurant will be operated by Ian Smith, whom Chick-fil-A selected as its local Owner-Operator.
Smith’s path to restaurant ownership began outside the fast-food industry. He previously worked in the automobile business before choosing a career that would let him spend more time with his family and become more involved in his community.
He joined Chick-fil-A as a team member and spent approximately a decade learning restaurant operations and developing leadership skills.
His experience included working with another local Owner-Operator who influenced how he approached customer service and employee development.
Now, Smith will oversee the daily operations of the Penfield restaurant, including customer service and team management.
In the company’s October 22 announcement, Smith emphasized his desire to create a welcoming environment and build meaningful relationships with residents.
He also highlighted the importance of helping employees develop skills and pursue opportunities within the business.
For Penfield, the opening introduces not only a national restaurant chain but also a local operator responsible for managing its everyday activities.
New Restaurant Brings Approximately 100 Jobs
Beyond the excitement of a new dining destination, Chick-fil-A Penfield also offers employment opportunities for the community.
The company expects the restaurant to create approximately 100 jobs.
Earlier in September, Chick-fil-A announced it was recruiting between 95 and 115 full-time and part-time employees as it continued preparing for the opening.
According to RochesterFirst, the company had advertised opportunities involving restaurant operations, customer service, and kitchen work.
Chick-fil-A says employees may also have access to educational assistance through its Remarkable Futures Scholarships program.
The program offers scholarships for eligible team members, and participating educational institutions also offer additional tuition discounts.
The company says employees can access discounts at more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide.
However, eligibility and award amounts depend on each program’s requirements.
The jobs are part of Chick-fil-A’s broader expansion throughout New York, where the company has announced plans for additional restaurants and employment opportunities.
Chick-fil-A Announces $25,000 Donation to Support Hunger Relief.
The Penfield opening will also bring a charitable contribution to the surrounding community.
To mark the occasion, Chick-fil-A has announced a $25,000 donation to Feeding America to support Foodlink, a regional food bank serving the Rochester area.
Foodlink is part of Feeding America’s nationwide network and works with local partners to distribute food and support communities experiencing food insecurity.
The donation is one of several community-focused initiatives the company ties to new restaurant openings.
Chick-fil-A Penfield will also participate in the company’s Shared Table program, which redirects surplus restaurant food to participating nonprofit organizations.
According to the company, Shared Table has helped provide more than 50 million meals nationwide since its introduction.
The program is designed to reduce food waste while making food available to organizations serving people in need.
These efforts will form part of the new restaurant’s community involvement as it begins operating in Penfield.
Chick-fil-A Continues Expanding Around Rochester
Penfield’s new restaurant is part of a larger Chick-fil-A expansion across upstate New York.
In March 2026, the company announced plans for six additional restaurants across the Capital Region, Finger Lakes, and Southern Tier by the end of 2029.
The expansion is expected to create more than 600 jobs across the participating communities.
The company also announced plans to donate a combined $150,000 to local food banks in recognition of the new restaurant openings.
The Rochester area has already seen several Chick-fil-A openings in recent years.
The chain entered the local market in Greece in 2018 and later expanded into Henrietta, Irondequoit, Brockport, and Rochester’s CityGate area.
Another restaurant is planned near Eastview Mall in Victor, although its construction timeline differs from the Penfield location.
What Customers Should Know Before Opening Day
With opening day approaching, customers interested in visiting the new Chick-fil-A should keep a few details in mind.
The restaurant opens at 6:30 a.m. on October 29, and the cow-print promotion applies only to eligible items while supplies last.
Guests who want to participate should wear recognizable cow-themed clothing or accessories and check the promotion’s conditions before ordering.
Drivers should also pay attention to posted directions and traffic controls near the restaurant. The development includes a drive-thru designed to accommodate vehicle queues, but actual opening-day traffic volumes remain unknown.
Customers can follow updates through the restaurant’s official social media pages or visit the Chick-fil-A Penfield restaurant page for location information.
After a lengthy development process, Penfield residents finally have a confirmed date for the popular chicken chain’s arrival.
The restaurant promises familiar menu favorites, new local employment opportunities, and community partnerships.
For customers who enjoy a little fun with their fast food, the opening-day offer gives another reason to show up.
On Thursday, October 29, Penfield’s first Chick-fil-A will officially open its doors, and customers who wear cow print could earn a free meal to celebrate.
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